There are more trees in North America now than there were when the Pilgrims landed.That's a bit overstated. Old growth virgin forests - by definition - have fewer trees per acre then far younger forests with many more smaller trees.
'old growth virgin forests' is a bit overstated... trees have a life span... forests are never old growth they are always growing through stages.... trees die new ones sprout...
i know the point you were trying to make, but your premise is structured on a straw man argument, that trees live forever... younger trees are better at doing what trees do than older trees...
such is life.
teeman
Correct ... in the world of lies, damn lies, and statistics ... I went for the 3rd one. It was the wholesale slaughter reference that sent me over the top.
"Old growth Virgin Forests" is just another phrase invented to reasonable and to "sound" sane. Sort of like "death throes".
True old-growth forests were only common on the coasts where the frequency and incidence of lightning is still a rare phenomenon.